Guests bashed with baseball bats

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Two partygoers are in hospital after being savagely beaten with
baseball bats by up to eight carloads of men who gatecrashed a
girl's 17th birthday.

A 20-year-old reveller was airlifted to Westmead Hospital
suffering possible spinal injuries after the attack at a home in
Sydney's north-west on Friday night.

Another 21-year-old guest was taken by ambulance to Penrith
Hospital after sustaining head injuries, broken bones in both hands
and a possible broken leg, police said.

A neighbour told The Sun-Herald he was woken by up to
eight cars heading towards the party, in Haerses Road, Maroota,
just before 11pm.

The resident, who asked not to be identified, said it was
unusual for so many vehicles to use the narrow dirt lane at one
time, describing the scenario as "like the M4".

He said it appeared the men knew where they were going, had
already singled out their victims and were "in and out in about 15
minutes". A police spokesman confirmed that gatecrashers were
suspected of sparking the violence.

He said crime scene specialists had examined the site and Castle
Hill detectives had started interviewing about 30 people thought to
have been at the party.

The two victims remained in hospital last night but their
condition was downgraded from serious to stable.

A 17-year-old girl who sustained a badly sprained ankle in the
brawl was recovering at home.